Conn Smythe Watch: Mikko Rantanen Leads After First Playoff Round

With the first round concluded and eight teams eliminated, the competition for the Stanley Cup playoffs MVP award is becoming clearer.

Currently, the spotlight is on one particular player whose Game 7 performance included breaking several records.

This is the initial Conn Smythe Watch for the 2025 playoffs. It`s important to remember that the Conn Smythe Trophy in the NHL recognizes a player`s performance throughout the entire postseason, not solely the Final series. The award is decided by a panel of 18 members from the Professional Hockey Writers Association.

We surveyed over twelve writers covering the ongoing playoffs to get their top three candidates for the Conn Smythe Trophy.

Here are the current frontrunners for MVP honors, alongside players who are close to entering the serious Conn Smythe conversation.

The current MVP

Mikko Rantanen, RW, Dallas Stars

The `Revenge Tour` against his former team, the Colorado Avalanche, concluded in spectacular fashion. Rantanen accumulated 11 points (five goals, six assists) in the final three games of the series, including a third-period hat trick and an assist on Wyatt Johnston`s game-tying goal late in the Stars` Game 7 victory.

Rantanen is the first player in NHL history to record four points in consecutive periods, whether in the regular season or playoffs. He is also the first to score a third-period hat trick in a Game 7 and the first player with at least 10 points across Games 5 through 7 in a single series. Overall, Rantanen boasts 12 points in seven games.

GM Jim Nill signed Rantanen to an eight-year, $96 million contract extension after acquiring him. This was based on his regular-season performance (705 points in 652 career games) and his reputation as a clutch playoff performer. He now has 113 points in 88 career postseason games.

Rantanen was ranked first on nearly every ballot collected from our voters. He is undeniably the favorite for playoff MVP at this juncture, and deservedly so.

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The other favorites

Kyle Connor, LW, Winnipeg Jets
Connor McDavid, C, Edmonton Oilers

While there is a noticeable gap between Rantanen and the two “Connors” in the MVP discussion, both Kyle Connor and Connor McDavid are building strong cases.

The Jets winger posted 12 points in seven games against the St. Louis Blues, overcoming his team`s goaltending issues (including a double Vezina winner being pulled multiple times) to lead Winnipeg to a first-round win.

Connor was exceptional in Game 7, setting up two goals for Cole Perfetti and then assisting on Adam Lowry`s double-overtime winner. He stepped up significantly while linemate and second-leading scorer Mark Scheifele was absent, helping Winnipeg advance past the first round for the first time in three postseasons.

It still feels remarkable to think of McDavid as the reigning Conn Smythe winner, having received the award after Edmonton`s seven-game loss to Florida in the Stanley Cup Final. When the playoffs arrive, McDavid consistently produces points. The Edmonton superstar has accumulated 110 points in 63 playoff games over the last five seasons, outpacing teammate Leon Draisaitl by 14 points.

McDavid led the Oilers with 11 points (two goals, nine assists) in their opening-round series win against the Los Angeles Kings. Many expected a different outcome this time for the Kings, who had been eliminated by Edmonton in the first round for three consecutive seasons. It was different in one way: McDavid averaged 1.83 points per game against the Kings in this six-game series victory, slightly less than his 2.00 points per game average in the previous three series wins against Los Angeles.

Our surveyed voters slightly favored McDavid over Connor on their ballots, positioning them clearly as the second and third choices behind Rantanen at this stage of the postseason.

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Making their cases

William Nylander, RW, Toronto Maple Leafs
Logan Thompson, G, Washington Capitals

Several voters expressed surprise at including a Maple Leafs player among the playoff`s most valuable, yet here we are. Toronto successfully navigated the first round against Ottawa and secured a Game 1 win against the Florida Panthers, largely thanks to Nylander`s offensive contributions.

He has been the member of Toronto`s `Core Four` with the most significant playoff impact, scoring 20 goals in 36 games since the 2020-21 season – seven more than Auston Matthews over the same period.

Nylander registered points in every game for the Leafs this postseason except one: Linus Ullmark`s Game 5 shutout for Ottawa. However, `Willy Styles` bounced back strongly in Game 6 with two goals and an assist in Toronto`s series-clinching win against the Senators. He also notched three goals and two assists in the Leafs` Game 1 victories in each round, proving to be both a strong starter and finisher.

Thompson is the sole goaltender who appeared on any of our ballots, receiving recognition from a few voters. The Capitals netminder posted a .923 save percentage and a 2.23 goals-against average across five games against the Canadiens. His ability to play five games was remarkable, especially after he was helped off the ice during Washington`s Game 3 loss. Nevertheless, Thompson returned for the Capitals` wins in Games 4 and 5, allowing just three goals on 47 shots.

These were the only other players mentioned on our voters` ballots. However, other individuals could easily play their way into this conversation as the postseason progresses.

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On the cusp

Evan Bouchard, D, Edmonton Oilers
Leon Draisaitl, C, Edmonton Oilers

The Oilers surprisingly eliminated the Kings in Game 6 without a single point from Draisaitl, but the Edmonton star made his presence felt in Game 1 against Vegas with an assist and the game-tying goal, his fourth of the postseason. Draisaitl is tied for the second-most points in the playoffs (12) through seven games.

Bouchard is still one point behind the since-eliminated Cam Fowler of St. Louis for the most points by a defenseman this postseason. However, the “Bouch Bombs” are likely to continue given the Oilers` success. Bouchard has tallied nine points (four goals, five assists) in seven games.

Jack Eichel, C, Vegas Golden Knights
Mark Stone, RW, Vegas Golden Knights

The Golden Knights` dynamic duo. Stone leads Vegas with four goals, while both players have accumulated six points.

They had a slow start against St. Louis but have since recorded points in four consecutive games, including two goals from Stone in Game 1 against Edmonton.

Wyatt Johnston, C, Dallas Stars
Jake Oettinger, G, Dallas Stars

Rantanen has deservedly garnered the headlines, but Wyatt Johnston`s contributions to the Stars should not be overlooked. His power-play goal gave Dallas a 3-2 lead in Game 7 with less than four minutes remaining against the Avalanche. He has seven points in seven games.

Oettinger held strong in the critical final moments of Game 7 and has posted solid numbers so far in the postseason, including a .911 save percentage and a 2.85 goals-against average.

Mitch Marner, RW, Toronto Maple Leafs

Marner is just behind Nylander with nine points in seven games, featuring eight assists. He leads the team with five power-play points. What could a Conn Smythe Trophy be worth during a contract year?

Sam Bennett, C, Florida Panthers

Bennett is Florida`s leader in goals with four in six games. As the Maple Leafs have experienced, he frequently makes an impact beyond the scoresheet, sometimes in ways that change the game`s momentum.

Frederik Andersen, G, Carolina Hurricanes
Jaccob Slavin, D, Carolina Hurricanes

Andersen benefits from playing behind a strong defensive team with an aggressive forecheck that limits opponents` chances. However, when shots do get through, the veteran goalie has been exceptionally solid, posting a .935 save percentage and a 1.45 goals-against average this postseason.

Slavin secured Game 1 of the Hurricanes` second-round series against the Capitals with an overtime goal. His other goal in the postseason was a significant marker in Carolina`s 5-2 Game 4 victory over New Jersey. However, Slavin`s impact is rarely defined by scoring; it`s his ice time (leading the Hurricanes with 24:28) and his defensive play, serving as a cornerstone of their dominant penalty kill. Additionally, Slavin carries considerable positive sentiment from voters due to his performance in the 4 Nations Face-Off.

Alex Ovechkin, LW, Washington Capitals
Dylan Strome, C, Washington Capitals

Strome leads the Capitals with nine points and was among the top scorers in the first round. Ovechkin previously won the Conn Smythe in 2018 when the Capitals lifted the Stanley Cup. He scored four goals and added an assist in their five-game series win over the Montreal Canadiens. They will require similar high-impact performances in a tight-checking series against the Hurricanes.

If Ovechkin is instrumental in carrying the Capitals deep into the playoffs, voters might find it hard to resist crowning his NHL record-breaking season with another playoff MVP award.